The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-23
ON THE MOUNTAIN TOPS.
A Savannah Man Who is Happy Up
Among the Clouds


BALsAM, N. c., July 2O.-When you are
weary of the struggle for name and fame
when health and strength fail, and body
and mind are sick, then take a palace
sleeper, fly to the mountains, and be at rest
but if you are in a gay and festive mood
and want racket" then try Saratoga
but how the invalid can fancy the latter
place is beyond my comprehension-well
chdcun a son govt. So go thy way, my
Saratoga brother, drink nasty water, have
thy dress parade, get elbowed by shoddy,
bullied by landlords and put upon by ser
wants to thy hearts content, and be happy
"Let us have peaceln AS for me, | will to
the mountain wilds, where all remains in
that Estate of original rectituden as when
first the Creator looked on his work and
pronounced it good.
Asheville, 1900 feet above Savannah, is a
mountain city, but one does not want a city
when one goes to the mountains On the
contrary, it is to get away from the city
and all that pertains thereto, and this place
towering still 400 feet above Asheville, is
not a city, but veritabe wild mountain
tnstness. There is only one rough clap
board house in the place, but there are deli
cious trout and Ayrshire milk, and real
fresh butter, and mountain chickens equal
30 any partridge. And the water-thev
don't want artesian or other wells here, for
I'll around are crystal waters gushing forth
from the rocks dark bosom. This is the
birthplace of waters, and each little embryo
river is born clear and cold and sparkling.
What pity that it should so speedily become
discolored and tainted, of the earth,
earthly. But is it not so with the
current of life There is no death in the air
of these mountains, il is so fresh and pure
and elastic that one feels as though drink
Ing in generous wine, only there is no
headache to follow And these simple
folk-they are in harmony with the sur
roundings, they care nothing for 'Nbulls and
bears, and shorts and longs, and puts and
calls, and straddles." They don't know or
care what Turkey says or Russia does or
where Jay Gould or Jake Sharp NAV 90 To-
They don't like dudes or folks who put on
airs, but anyone who comes among them in
plain and frank fashion is made welcome to
the best they can give, and put at once on u
nome footing.
These are called Balsam mountains. be-
cause the tops are covered by very fra
grant species of fir tree, supposed TO possess
medicinal qualities, and certainly giving
put a most delicious perfume. Although
the highest mountains in all the Atlantic
region, they are clothed with verdure to the
very summit, for the reason that the limit
Of vegetation is higher i'll this latitude than
farther north, and wherever there is a little
depression that is accessible, some one will
have little clearing with grain or a few
vegetables planted at an altitude which in
Eastern States would produce nothing but
bare rock.
IL is wild region h~"eabout, but there is
health here and the surroundings are so
variei tn1t 'Lc eye never wcaries il is
rough aud pri~- ave but then il is good for
the delizen Of city TO get away from brick
and mortar occasionally and from the
busy haunts of men;n here is rest and
quiet, and 1t is very SWEEP to the weary man
of business, and it is life and health 10 the
btoSe votary of pleasure and dissipation:
Rnd then the cost Of living here is so far less
than at any fancy wstcT 'ng place. 1t is
actually cheaper vhan 10 stay at home, and
any one with the most modest income can
come and get the worth of lis money many
tiraos over The CO. of travel is now re-
ducad to minimum, and it is but twenty
four hours journey from Savannah 10 this